1-1 By: Brown S.B. No. 673 1-2 (In the Senate - Filed February 19, 1997; February 25, 1997, 1-3 read first time and referred to Committee on Jurisprudence; 1-4 March 11, 1997, reported favorably by the following vote: Yeas 6, 1-5 Nays 0; March 11, 1997, sent to printer.) 1-6 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED 1-7 AN ACT 1-8 relating to garnishment of money held in an inmate trust fund. 1-9 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: 1-10 SECTION 1. Chapter 63, Civil Practice and Remedies Code, is 1-11 amended by adding Section 63.006 to read as follows: 1-12 Sec. 63.006. GARNISHMENT OF FUNDS HELD IN INMATE TRUST FUND. 1-13 (a) A writ of garnishment may be issued against an inmate trust 1-14 fund held under the authority of the Texas Department of Criminal 1-15 Justice under Section 501.014, Government Code, to encumber money 1-16 that is held for the benefit of an inmate in the fund. 1-17 (b) The state's sovereign immunity to suit is waived only to 1-18 the extent necessary to authorize a garnishment action in 1-19 accordance with this section. 1-20 SECTION 2. This Act applies only to a writ of garnishment 1-21 issued against an inmate trust fund on or after the effective date 1-22 of this Act. A writ of garnishment issued against an inmate trust 1-23 fund before the effective date of this Act is governed by the law 1-24 as it existed before the effective date of this Act, and that law 1-25 is continued in effect for this purpose. 1-26 SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 1997. 1-27 SECTION 4. The importance of this legislation and the 1-28 crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an 1-29 emergency and an imperative public necessity that the 1-30 constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several 1-31 days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended. 1-32 * * * * *